Where the Wild Flower Grows
by Nikki2131
Summary: Azalea finally meets people that understand and make her feel safe. Of course, she couldn't have a simple happily ever after, that is just not how life likes to deal its cards to her. She has decide who she cares for more, which is rather difficult when she holds both their hearts in her hand. The American Hero? Or the Kind Doctor? BrucexOC or StevexOC.
1. Introduction

_I would first off like to thank you for clicking on my story. My summaries are usually not the best in the world. Secondly, I would like to introduce you to my first story! (on .) I was really excited to start this off and hopefully people will enjoy it too. I would like to point out a few things. This is not a smut story, so if that is what you are here for, I'm sorry, its not pwp. Also, I might offend a couple people here with Tony's personality and how he reacts to things he sees. That is just me trying to keep him in character. Finally, I would really like for you to enjoy the story and check back in for new chapters. maybe..even..leave..a review? Please? thank you ^.^_

_I do not own the Avengers nor any of the Marvel Characters used. However, I do own Azalea. _

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It was no _secret_ that S.H.I.E.L.D kept_ secrets_ from the general public and even their own operatives, including the ones who had some of the highest security clearances. Secrecy was possibly the only way to maintain order within the organization as well as the world. Some people could not handle the truth well and since it was S.H.I.E.L.D's job to maintain peace and order, they had to also maintain a level of secrecy. The only person who knew and/or had access to every piece of information that flowed in and out of S.H.I.E.L.D's sights was a Mr. Fury. A man who had seen the unfeasible. A man who had been through struggle and pain. A man who had at one point commanded a group of people who couldn't have been more different and yet he was still here and wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. Even if they had to prop his cold, dead body into a chair and have someone talk for him.

With all that Nick Fury had on his plate is was rather obvious that he kept his fair share of secrets. He had not told the Avengers team the truth about the tesseract weaponry so it was only plausible to say he held many other things from them. Things that he deemed were not necessary for them to know at the moment. It would only rile them more than they already were on a daily basis. That is why now he was standing before them in a large room meant for meetings, debating in his head if maybe this was a good idea or not. He was not afraid of any of them in that room with a single exception of doctor that could shift into a very angry shade of green. No, he was not afraid of them, but they were easily riled and turned simple situations into difficult ones.

After the crisis with Loki it could have easily been assumed that the Avengers were disassembled and scattered across the globe like they had all once been before. That assumption would be incorrect. With harsh words to the higher ups, Nick Fury insisted that the team was kept together and in contact with S.H.I.E.L.D constantly incase their services were needed again. It was not like another alien race would come sweeping down from the stars again, but then again there was always a possibly. Fury went by the policy that if it could happen once then it could happen again. He kept them connected to S.H.I.E.L.D and essentially to each other, even though such a large threat had not manifested since Loki.

So here they were now, with the exception of Thor, for obvious reasons, and Ms. Romanoff who was off somewhere deep in disguise and her own secrets. Across the table sat on obnoxious billionaire, Tony Stark, who looked rather bored with the situation at hand, which was something rather normal for him. Beside him sat the infamous green scientist, impassive as ever. Then came Steve Rogers, the only one who seemed to halfway pay attention to Fury, followed by a distracted Clint, who was waiting intently on Natasha's return from her latest assignment.

"You all are probably wondering why I have called you here" he started off slow, easing into this information slowly.

"Do tell Fury. I can only imagine that is of the_ utmost_ importance" Tony drawled out, showing his disinterest in this whole matter. He wished only to return to his tower and do things he classified as more important than anything that Nick Fury had to say to him. Leaning back in his chair, he crossed his arms over his chest, blocking the faint glow coming through his shirt from the reactor. He cocked his eyebrow, waiting intently for the bullshit excuse that the man in the black trench coat had now.

"I would not have asked you to come if I had any thoughts this could be done without you. But I believe this retrieval mission would go more smoothly with the assistance you will provide" the director replied, taking a folder that had been behind him and placing it on the long oblong table. He slid it to the four men at the other edge. Steve stopped the manila folder and flipped it up. Like a nosy child, Tony leaved over, pressing his shoulder into Steve's trying to get a look.

"From what you have said I assume you want this girl at S.H.I.E.L.D" the American soldier concluded, eyes running down her file._** Azalea**_. Now that was a name. He was pretty sure that it was some kind of flower she was most likely named after. From what he could remember anyway. It was hard to remember normal things when he was surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D almost twenty-four hours and seven days a week.

"Or maybe you want us to kill her. It wouldn't be a surprise coming from you Fury" Tony retorted, kicking up his feet onto the glossy table after getting his fill of the girl's file.

"Maybe you should take a book out of Captain's page and learn to think a bit less hostile" Fury barked.

"Only when you do the same."

Once the two were at a stalemate, which was usual banter between Fury and the man of Iron, the director went back to his main objective. He really should not be surprised that Tony would make this difficult before they even got to the difficult part.

"I need someone to go retrieve her. Ms. Matthews is not normal in the slightest and has been under S.H.I.E.L.D's watchful eye since she was very small. Needless to say she was very unaware of what she could do. A couple of days ago, an agent that had been assigned to keep track of her reported strange activities. It seems she is more aware now or it was possibly a fluctuation in her power. We are not sure at the moment. We now need her here, where she can receive proper training and protection."

"Protection from what?" Bruce spoke up at this point, arms crossed over his chest but not looking anywhere near as hostile as Tony was looking. "And what do you mean she is not normal?"

"Telekinesis/ psychokinesis?" Captain America read from the file, eyes looking up to meet Fury's, who decided he needed to continue.

"Azalea's parents worked for S.H.I.E.L.D at one point. While her mother was with child, she came to see her husband, who was a part of the team that worked with the tesseract. The thing is very unstable at times, but never caused any problems. We think that the fetus being in close contact with the object caused this sort of mutation. If we can even call it that." he explained, making sure each man was on the same page before continuing. "When the child was born she had shown activity parallel to Telekinesis. At one point no one could touch her because of some kind of force field. Needless to say her father did not take it very well. It made no sense why he lost his shit. But he did, killed the mother and himself. We speculate that the only reason he didn't harm the girl is because he was not able to due to her mutation."

"So you placed her with a family. But that does not clear up why she needs protection? She's been fine there. Why now?" Clint asked, arching his eyebrow at Fury. The archer had been quiet up till now; curious as to why S.H.I.E.L.D had even decided to put her with a family that was not in the headquarters. It was unlike Fury.

"I'm not entirely heartless. Like you all, I assume she wished to have some sort of normality. We placed her in a home. Needless to say the parents did not know of her abilities and we kept a close eye on her. It was concluded that the best time for her to return to S.H.I.E.L.D would be when she was a legal adult. Which is only two days from now." Fury replied, tapping his fingers against the table. "Let me make it very clear. To keep her a secret we placed her in a secluded area. What can be called the 'Deep South.'"

"Oh that is very smooth director. Place a very not normal girl in a cesspool of ignorance." Tony sneered, throwing his hands up in the air. "let me guess, they are starting a witch hunt as we speak." he added.

"It was better than placing her in a highly populated area and put civilians in risk. It is very clear she does not understand what she can do. You all should know what happens when fear and confusion take over the mind" Fury growled, placing both hands on the table now. "As I was saying, I am sending the two of you-" pointing to Tony and Steve, "-to go fetch her. Rather… convince her to come willingly. She is to be here. Regardless if she comes easily or if you have to stuff her into the plane. Do not make a big scene out of this." he instructed.

"And if I refuse?" Tony prodded. Fury had expected that.

"Yes. I've heard this story before Tony. You always refuse. You're going anyway. Sending the good doctor is not a good idea. And Hawkeye is being sent off tomorrow for recon in Eastern Europe." turning to Bruce Banner, Fury addressed him now. "You are going to be her person doctor. If its anybody I trust to look after her. It's you. She is very special and has potential. S.H.I.E.L.D needs her. And S.H.I.E.L.D needs you two to go get her" turned back Tony and Steve. Bruce simply nodded, though he was not looking forward to being in close contact with anyone. The only reason he and Tony had any sort of friendship was because he was living with the man. Tony had been nice enough (Surprisingly) to give Bruce his own floor in Stark Towers. The billionaire had offered each avenger a place there, but the only ones who had taken the offer was Bruce and Steve, Thor occasionally when he came back to Midgard to visit or attend Fury's constant meetings.

"When do we leave?" Steve asked, glancing down at the file again. "To...Kosciusko, Mississippi?" the super soldier looked around the room, rather confused where such a place could be. Tony on the other hand gave Fury a deadpanned look.

"Really...Really? Kosciusko? That even sounds backwoods" the billionaire couldn't make it more obviously he did not want to go. But then again, his curiosity of this girl and what she could do pushed him to go. That, and Fury pretty much kicking his ass onto the plane.

"Listen to me very carefully." Fury directed this sentence mostly to Tony. "Do not make a scene down there. Get in, and get out. But you are not leave unless she comes with you. If you are recognized, fine, but do not cause a problem."

"_Roger Dodge_r"


	2. Ch 1: Words Cut like Knives

_Hello there ^.^ How are we doing? I know it has taken me almost a week to put up a chapter that is not entirely long. It was longer but I decided to cut it in half and make a third chapter out of the last part. It was going on rather long and it just seemed...too long. I know I drabble a lot in this. I need to cut down on that and get to the real meat of the story. It will happen, but I will use the excuse that I am building up a bit of background information. (In reality..its just going really slow.) I would like to thank you for clicking on my story and also the four people who followed my story. I was so happy ^.^ Anywhoo, here is the second chapter. I hope you enjoy. The third chapter is already half-way done. And Steve/Tony will be making an entrance in that chapter. For now, Have fun with Jackson and Azalea._

_I am aware of some grammar mistakes. That is for the most part Dialogue. Anything out of Dialogue I will need to fix. _

_I would enjoy reviews please. It helps me get better, and it shows me what you want as a reader. _

_I do not own Avengers. I do own Jackson and Azalea._

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**Chapter One: Words Cut like Knives**

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The summer so far had been particularly hot, raising temperatures into the high nineties, causing droughts and farmers in that area to cuss each and every weather man ever born. It was still only midsummer and a heat wave bigger than a Tsunami was laying waste to Mississippi and its neighboring states. It was at a point that bullfrogs wouldn't even make a sound when the evenings came around, too hot to try. Even the bugs, the annoying little insects that enjoyed clustering together in mid-day were nowhere to be seen. Most likely trying to find refuge on the underside of oak leaves.

The unforgiving rays beat down on the little town of Kosciusko, baking the people who lived there and running the electric bills sky-high from the use of the air conditioners. Ice Cream was melting faster than it could sell and plastic pools were the new hot accessory.

Standing still in the hot sun for more than five minutes led to ridiculous sunburn. Walking around in this heat led to extreme dehydration. It was a lose-lose situation for most of the people in Kosciusko and most of Mississippi. Summers were hot, but this summer was like vacationing on the sun. The only force that could match that of the unforgiving sun was teenage energy. Raw teenage energy that never channeled to anything good when said teenagers were very bored.

"Wooooohooooo! Imma get this damn thing stuck!" Jackson was a ripe boy of nineteen years old. Worked out on the weekdays and had a steady job working at a Ranch on the outside of Kosciusko. He was rather handy at fixing things but that was about it. It was a miracle the boy had finished high school and from there he had no aspirations for college. He would stay in Kosciusko until he died, or so it seemed.

He was, by definition, a true country boy with his tanned skin, dark sunglasses and the torn blue jeans that were now currently splattered with mud. He drove a truck with wheels half his size and always had a cowboy hat on his head or near his reach. Currently, the hat had fallen from his head when he hit a rather steep dip with his truck, covering the rest of the paint with the famous Mississippi red mud. On days like this, it was ideal to go down to the old mud pit a few miles from town and get dually trucks so stuck in the mud that it was almost like a graveyard for them. Jackson himself had lost a few hats to that mud pit and would never get them back.

Snapping his steering wheel, he hollered even louder, listening to the tires spin and whine as the heavy vehicle tried to escape the mud.

"Fuckin' Hell Jackson. I think you really did get this damn thing stuck" his partner in crime decided it was a good time to chime in. Azalea was the Bonnie to Jackson's Clyde. She was never far away from Jackson and always accompanied him on his mudding adventures.

From first impressions it would be hard to conclude that Azalea was in fact, a girl. She dressed in cargo pants or shorts half of the time, with either a T-shirt or a ribbed tank top. Her hair, a strange shade of orange for that region, was always tied back, in a bun or braided. Almost every pair of shoes she owned were boots and she would choke at the thought of makeup. "Switch it into reverse. Might get this motherfucker outer here." Azalea stated, wiping the drops of mud from her face that had gotten there through the open window on the passenger side. The two were in their own little mud heaven, having the time of their lives like they did every weekend and all through the summer.

"Nah. I think its stuck. Gunna need to call Rodey or Jason to come pull me. I knew it was not a smart idea to go muddin' alone" Jackson chuckled, leaning back in the truck seat. They were stuck in the middle of the mud pit, like a sinking ship in the middle of the ocean.

"Yeah, you know it takes them fuckin' hours to get anywhere." Azalea sighed, running a hand through the top of her hair before looking over at her partner in crime. That comment caused Jackson to chuckle softly, turning his truck off and turning his body towards Azalea.

"So hey there pretty lady" he winked. "What are we going to do to pass the time huh?" He wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner, but they both knew that he didn't mean anything by it. Friends was all they ever would be, too close to even consider messing it up by being in a relationship.

They had gone through the years together, done everything together and that past May, Jackson had watched her walk across the stage to graduate high school. The poor man had cried at the idea of his little Wild Flower moving off somewhere to go to college. Their bond was so strong that it was hard to imagine the two of them ever separating paths.

"Whatcha smiling about?" Jackson asked with a curious smile, reaching over and rustling her hair. Swatting him away she giggled then let out a happy sigh.

"Thinkin' about us. How much of an amazing friend you are."

"I'm just amazing at everything lil'girl."

"I'm serious Jackson, you're the bestest friend anyone could ask for." she told him.

"Aw shit. You're a good pal too Aza. Wouldn't trade you for the world" he reached over once more and ruffled her hair, causing Azalea to whine in protest and hit him in the arm. He pretended that it hurt for her sake. " .hey. Why you frowning all of a sudden?" He asked, scooting over to her, wrapping an arm around small shoulders.

"I..I don't know Jackson..I.." she paused, trying to the words out of her mouth in correct sentences. "Jackson" she said after some minutes. "Jackson..I..I need to tell you something. I...I have not told anyone else about this, and I can't keep this to myself anymore. I need to tell someone, and who better else than my best friend right?" she smiled, even though her heart was beating so hard she thought it might beat right out of her chest and into the mud. "I am about to show you something. And you have to promise that you will not freak out because I need your support Jackson. I need you to be my rock. I need you to be my best friend right now."

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She should have known better. It should have never even crossed her mind to show him. She should have never foolishly thought it would turn out any different than it had.

"You're a goddamn freak!" the words cut into her, tearing out ligaments and breaking bones until it reached her heart and squeezed. Suffocating the organ until she felt like she was going to die. Azalea tried to make herself small, shrink and disappear into the mud that had been their playground only five minutes ago. She had gone out on a limb and told her best friend her deepest secret. They had told each other everything and she thought that Jackson would still love her for her. They were thick as thieves and she never expected things to change so dramatically and so quickly. She didn't expect this from Jackson. **Jackson had looked straight at her and called a freak**.

A goddamn freak.

After all those years of being together. Growing up together and being there for one another did not seem to _matter_ at this point. Not for Jackson anyway. "You're not natural. Whatever you just did was fucking unnatural. Get the hell away from me" the man said, flinching away from Azalea as she reached forward to try and touch his arm.

"Please-" the broken plea went unheard on deaf ears as her longtime friend leaned away from her as if she was a murderer. A person with an infectious disease, and not his best friend of nearly sixteen years. It crossed the young girl's mind that he probably would still like her more if she had murdered someone instead of telling him the truth about herself. Glassy green eyes stared at Jackson's blue ones. His were wide, fearful looking but most of all hateful. Glaring down at her as if she was less than human.

"Get out of my truck" he snarled, motioning to the door.

"Please, Jackson, be reasonable" her pleas went unheard once more.

"Get out!" he yelled, lifting his hand as if he was going to strike her. She quickly opened the door and slid out of the tall truck, landing in the mud that was at the least two feet deep. She looked up into the truck, barely able to see the man who cursed her like a sailor now. "How long have you been that way? Are you even human?"

"Why are you acting like this Jack-"

"Why?! why?! You're acting like you're not some kind of unnatural..._Thing!_" he exclaimed, reaching down and starting his truck, spinning tires. He simply wanted to get away from her. Whatever she was, she was not human. All those years spent together and he had never even noticed. He felt violated, lied to and wanted nothing more to do with her. Finally getting his tires out of the hidden rut in the mud, he stopped the truck, a thought striking him hard like a brick to the face. Who else had she lied to?

"I'mma tells Mr. and Mrs. Matthews. I bet they don't know. Don't know their daughter is unnatural. If you're even their daughter!" he sneered, the hatefulness in his voice cutting her down even farther. "I bet you've lied to them too! Heavens know they wouldn't want a fuckin' freak like you if they knew the truth!"

"Please Jackson. I am beggin' you. Just stop for a moment and listen to me" She cried, tears running down her flushed face. "Please Jackson. You're my best friend. You have to listen. You have to understand!"

"I don't have to do anything!" the man snapped. "But I am not going to stand by and let good people like the Matthews not know about a freak like you! You might try to kill them one day if you haven't already! They got every right to know! Know how you're a damn freak! Unnatural and an abomination!" he wasted no more time nor words with the girl. Switching gears he took off as fast as he could through the thick mud, leaving his closet friend to pathetically chase after him.

It was no use. Jackson was already at the other side of the field and out of the mud pit before Azalea could take thirty steps. Her life was crashing down before her. She had no one to blame but herself. She should have never told Jackson, but he had been her friend. Someone she could trust.

Someone she _thought_ she could trust.


	3. Ch 2: Words Can Kill

_I'm rather excited! I got a favorite! One whole favorite and I am really proud of that. And Six followers. That is the only thing keeping me doing this story is the followers. Even if its a small number, and I don't want to disappoint anyone. I'd rather finish a story and have it be not so good than leave anything hanging with a "what if" and "Well i could have finished it with this" and what not. **Allegra Rogers13** thank you so much for the first favorite. I wish I could give you something ^.^ This chapter is still slow. The story, as I have said before is slow. I am trying to add more action to it. I am also trying to build up drama. First full story ever so I'm learning. I'm also working on a oneshot for a friend and dabbling a bit of Red Dead Redemption. So bare with with me, I multitask even though I know I'm bad at it. Finished re-reading and re-touching this about four in the morning, and I didn't want you to wait any longer so here we go. Grammar mistakes may be in there because I can't spell and Fanfiction format is kinda throwing me off. Have fun reading. I don't own the Avengers yadda yadda yadda._

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**Chapter Two : Words Can Kill**

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"Quit lying! Show 'em! Show 'em the **true** Azalea!" the world spinned around her as she tried to calm Jackson down, and explain to her parents at the same time what was going on. She didn't know why she could do the things she could. And now, she didn't know why she even fathomed that Jackson would have been okay with her being different. Of course she knew she was different but never fully understood it. She hid it, knowing it would only upset her parents but mostly she feared the rejection that would come with it. And now her worst nightmares were coming true, all thanks to her former best friend.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" she screamed, the only thing she could do now as her Ma and Pa looked on, confusion in their eyes. Crossing the floorboards Robert Matthews, Azalea's father, took Jackson's arm, not happy that some punk was upsetting his daughter. His little princess.

"Look son, you need to get the hell outta here. I don't know what's wrong with your head-"

"It's not my damn head that's fucked up. Its hers!" Jackson's accusation cut deep, even now.

"Look here don't make me hurt you!" Robert's voice raised an octave, ready to shoot the bastard as his daughter shook, tears running down like rapids over her face. "Get on now! Get outta here before I call the law!"

"Call the law! She needs to be arrested! We ain't safe! Not with her around here! Tell them the truth! Fucking tell them right now and quit being a damn liar!"

"Just shut up! You're ruining everything Jackson! We're friends! We've been friends since kindergarten! Why does is matter?! I'm still Azalea! Aza!"

"Not if I had known what I know now! Shit ain't natural! Quit being a damn liar and show them!" Jackson's voice was hoarse now from screaming at Azalea, and before much thought passed through his head he picked up one of favorite vases and threw it with baseball accuracy at Azalea. She screamed, closing her eyes and holding up her hands to block the ceramic pottery from hitting her face. She heard it shattered but felt nothing. No shards in her arm, nor the pain of impact. Slowly, she lowered her arms, revealing the faces of her mother and father, who now had the same horrified look.

_**No. Not them too. No...**_

The vase was on the floor, shattered, but it was a good two feet away from her, as if a wall had been put in her place. She did not see what had happened, but from the looks she was now receiving it was very clear what her parents had seen.

"Oh my word." Mama whispered, placing a hand over her mouth as she sat down on the couch. "Oh my word...oh..oh my word" it seemed as if she was on repeat. Shaking, scared eyes looked over the room before meeting with Azalea's. It was not hate in her mother's eyes, but fear and that was worse than any kind of hateful word that Jackson could throw at Azalea.

"See! I told ya! She ain't human! She ain't natural! A damn freak! No tellin' what else she can do! Do to things! Do to us!" Jackson's voice cut in like a steak knife, and Azalea never felt such an overwhelming anger for the man up until now. He had managed to crumble down her walls and her life in a matter of minutes. Something she had tried so hard to keep normal so she could be happy. So she could have friends and a family. This solid and abrupt rejection is what she feared and now it was all coming true. All thanks to one mishap.

It was not even a mishap. She had trusted Jackson enough to tell him she had these powers. She had confided in him like any friend would to another friend. Now, she was here regretting it. Regretting the fact she had even known Jackson. No person who was capable of emotion should ever have to regret years of friendship.

"Azalea..Azalea what was that." Her Pa's voice rang clear in the midst of all this chaos. Of Jackson screaming and yelling at the top of his lungs and her Ma sitting on the couch looking as if she had just been stabbed, Azalea could hear it in his voice. The utter_ horror _and_ disgust_. Confusion was somewhere in the mix, but did not override the first two. She couldn't bare to meet his eyes, but she had to. And what she saw almost made her fall to her knees. He had the same look as Jackson.

The look that said : "what the hell are you?"

"_Daddy?_" She tried, voice cracking as trembling hands reached out for him. She let out a sob as he took two steps back. He didn't have to say anything. He was making it rather clear without words anyway. Did all those years mean nothing now? Would they burn her baby pictures and forget she even existed. All for what? Because she could do things other people couldn't. Wasn't that considered having a talent?

"Excuse me?"

Eyes turned to the screen door where another voice had made its presence known. In the fading evening, Azalea could make out the silhouette of a rather tall man with broad shoulders and short hair. Nobody made a move to the door, as if they were not sure if this mystery man had heard the commotion they had been causing. "Excuse me. I hate to interrupt and I know it is late, but my name is Steve Rogers. This is-" the man stepped to the side, revealing a shorter and smaller man. "Tony Stark."

"Tony Stark? That billionaire fella from New York?" Robert asked, head tilting a bit. Tony was amazed that this backwoods hillbilly had even known his name.

"Yeah..fella from New York" The brunette smiled. Robert missed the obvious distaste Tony Stark seemed to have about the word "fella."

"May we come in?"

One parent looked to another, not sure if a stranger inside their home right now was such a good idea. Clearing his throat, Robert decided that it was best to be the one that spoke up. "Look boys. Right now ain't the best time. We sorta got some things we gotta sort-"

"We are here for Azalea" Tony stated, interrupting the stumbling man as he nudged Steve aside and opened the screen door. Once inside he looked out of place with such an expensive suit in such a homely house. The Billionaire looked at the people inside and tsked. Two parents, the jackass that had thrown the vase (Yes they had seen that) and the one girl he assumed they were here for. Maybe a bit late but they were still here for her. It was a matter of how to go about getting her out of this house now with as little conflict as they could. It would have been best to catch her before her parents found out. There was nothing that they could do about that now. Fury would have a fit if he caused any problems but it didn't look as if he had to worry about causing problems.

This family was creating problems rather well without his help.

"We had been led to believe that a Miss Azalea Matthews" Tony motioned to the girl who he assumed was Azalea. "Had..unnatural powers. Ones that were very dangerous. And ones that were not meant to be near human beings" he spoke hateful. He knew he had to. Side with the enemy and let them believe what they needed to in order to get Azalea out of the toxic situation. He was sure that any hint of sympathy and the redneck boy would call foul and fluster up like a damn peacock. And then Tony would have to pluck the boy's feathers and cause a mess.

"That don't explain why ya here " Robert said, looking over to his daughter. His weird daughter. Was she even his daughter anymore? Had some kind of strange monster replaced her? Had her soul been taken by the devil and in return given those strange powers. That seemed like the only possible answer. How else could she have these other worldly abilities. Jackson was very right when he said it was unnatural.

Tony wanted to smack himself in the head at the level of sheer stupidity. Of course, he supposed he couldn't blame them, they were in the deep south. A hundred years behind in education and civilization. "Yes, of course it doesn't. I forget sometimes that I speak so vaguely" he said, exasperated obvious to Steve Rogers. The Captain put his hand on Tony's shoulder, a silent warning to rein in his attitude. Tony, in response, swiped Steve's hand off his shoulder as if it was posion and made his way across the wooden floor boards to Azalea. "We, me and cap here-"

"Dear Lord, I didn't even recognize you without a suit on. You're Captain America ain't cha?" Jackson said, a bit more nicer. Azalea wanted to call out his sudden bipolar change but didn't want to risk his wrath on her again. She resigned herself to remaining quiet. Maybe, by some miracle, they would forget about her.

"Yes. Yes I am." Steve replied, giving the man a small smile, which was simply out of courtesy. The boy had easily disrespected a woman and that was very low in Steve's book. Only scum would ever attack a woman, especially without being provoked. "And we, Tony and I, work for an organization that oversees the protection of the world. We-" he stopped, not sure what words to use next. He was sure that if the girl's family knew that they were here to help her, they would be less likely to let her go. She had only a few days until she turned eighteen, but crazy people only needed hours, not days to do horrible damage. Steve Rogers would know that first hand, having been through enough crazy people in two different decades. Loki only needed hours to destroy a large amount of New York City.

"Let me cut through the bullshit. She's a danger as you all have seen. And we are here to make sure that she is no longer a danger" Tony deadpanned.

"I'm not a danger to anyone!" Azalea insisted, stomping her foot. Several books fell from the large bookcase across the room and Tony only tsked once more.

"It seems you are. With a temper like that you are rather unstable." he told her, looking down at the young girl. He could see the pure fear and rejection in her eyes. She looked rather fragile even though she had such a magnificent talent. It was a shame she had to feel that way. She looked like a beaten dog, cowering and hoping that the cruel masters would move onto something else to abuse.

"So what are you going to do with her?" it was the first time that Mrs. Matthews had spoken up for a while now, in shock with the whole situation. That was their daughter who was now something with abilities that she should not have. Were these two men going to hurt her daughter? Somewhere deep down she was still a mother to Azalea. That was her baby, and yet another side of her shouted that her baby didn't have these so called powers.

"We are going to take her and make sure she is safe for the general public." Tony said.

"Yeah. I bet. Kinda like that big green freak was for New York when that whole fucking freak show went on up there" Jackson snarled. "You don't cleanse the world of freaks like her. You shelter them"

"When did I ever say I was a cleaner?" Tony asked, putting a hand on Azalea's arm. "She is coming with us, whether she comes with ease and no issue or if you want to cause a problem. Trying to take this into your own hands will result in nothing but more pain for you."

"You're just gunna let them take me!?" Azalea cried, looking between her parents and Jackson. She couldn't believe them. These two men were going to take her and her family was completely okay with that. Fine with their daughter being dragged away by these men, regardless if they were famous or not.

"They have no choice" Steve interjected. "You will be coming with us tonight. There will be no paperwork or anything on your behave. Like Tony had mentioned, she is near adulthood. Let us try not to complicate things more than they need to be." he said, handing them a card with a very fake number. "If you have any questions that is the number to call." he said before turning to Tony and the girl. "Come on. We have a car ride back to get to the airport" he stated, opening the door.

"thats it!? You're not even going to say anything?!" Azalea screamed, hot tears running down her face again as she struggled to get out of the strange man's grasp. Steve took this moment to take her by both shoulders and she only struggled more. "Eighteen years! Eighteen whole years you loved me! Called me your princess and yet you suddenly turn a cold shoulder towards me and act as if I am the spawn of Satan!" she yelled accusingly.

"You probably are" Jackson spat hatefully.

"Fuck you! Fuck all of you! I didn't know that the limit on loving someone was when someone was different! How shallow can you be!" she pointed a finger, primarily addressing Jackson. She had not meant to and honestly didn't know if she herself had done it or not but the bookcase behind the man tilted forward, collapsing on Jackson and pinning him to the floor. he only cried out once, when the bookcase had descended on him and after it pressed his body to the floor, not another sound left his lips.

Gasping, Mrs. Matthews stood, covering her mouth with a shaky hand. "help him Rob!" she cried, looking over to Azalea. "Take her. Take her before she hurts anyone else" she told them, waving them away. "Go now! Before someone ends up dead because of her!" she insisted, leaning down and trying to push the bookcase off of Jackson. "We'll get this off in a minute Jack. you'll be fine son. We'll get you to a hospital and everything will be fine" the woman whispered.

"Get out" Robert's cold voice cut through the tension, as his aging body lifted the bookcase off of the still body of Jackson. Kneeling, Robert shook him. "Come on boy. Get up" he said, shaking him harder.

Steve turned his head, locking his eyes with Tony's. She was beginning to be dangerous, but it was not her fault entirely. A tiger could only take so much poking and prodding before it struck. Azalea had been pushed to her edge and without proper control of her powers, this is what happened. This couldn't be the result of her anger all the time. If she continued to show lack of control for both her emotions and powers through her training then there was no telling what Fury would do or have done. Azalea, this girl, had already been through so much it seemed and he was the last person that wanted to hurt her more. He actually wanted to comfort her, tell her it would be alright.

He also wanted to call out the hypocrisy, but knew that would not end well. They had welcomed himself with a kind appearance, even though himself had abilities no natural human had. Yet, Azalea was a monster to them.

"Why isn't he getting up?" Mrs. Matthews asked, body trembling as she looked up at her husband. "He's not getting up Robert!" She placed a hand on his back and a heart breaking sob escape her lips. "Oh god Robert. There's no heartbeat" she said, grabbing her husband's arm. Taking quick action, Robert flipped the boy over as carefully as he could and leaned down. Ear against Jackson's chest he waited. Nothing. No thumping or rugged breathing. The man could only assume that Jackson had died quickly. Maybe from a spinal injury or a broken neck.

"Get her out of here" he said lowly, cradling Jackson's head as if he was the dead son Robert never had. "I'm calling the fuckin' police"

"Daddy..daddy please I didn't mean it" Azalea tried, as Steve tugged her towards the door. "Daddy..daddy please it was an accident. I never meant to hurt him. You know that! You know that!"

"Do I? Do I really Azalea? You just killed a man. You're a murderer. Do I really know you?" Robert asked, voice as hard as nails. His words stilled the girl from struggling to get away. She simply stared at her family. Her broken family hovering over the dead body of a boy that had chastised their daughter. They were more worried over Jackson's body than of her being dragged away.

Azalea let them take her. Tony and Steve easily led her to a car parked outside. She didn't even care at this point. She had nothing left of value. No family that loved her. That bridge had been burned not by her, but by her parents. She no longer had a best friend. He was dead now, with his blood on her hands. She had killed him, and yet she didn't feel sorry for it. Deep down somewhere, she hoped that these two men would bring her to her own death. She wouldn't have to face the rest of her life if she died.

She wouldn't have to face that sudden and heart wrenching rejection ever again if she died. Her heart couldn't hurt from loss if it couldn't beat at all.

Once in the car, Tony in the front with some kind of chauffeur and Steve in the back. Probably to ensure that she didn't go anywhere. Not like she would, she was too tired at this point. Drained and distraught, she just sat in the seat like an empty shell of a person. "Alright, now that we are out of the sight of the crazies from the hills, its time to get down to the real business" Tony stated, turning in his seat. "I apologize for the rude introduction but we had to convince the gullible in there that you needed to come with us."

Azalea starred at him. The only thing she could say was a very soft "Excuse me?"


	4. Ch 3: New York and The Good Doctor

_I've finally gotten around to posting a new chapter here. It gets a bit discouraging when no reviews come in but I can't be too picky. I have ten followers for this story which was ten more than I started with ^^. I took time to post something for Clint Barton, so go check that out when you get a chance. Its rather small compared to this story I am trying to complete. But enjoy this chapter! I've also changed my format around on how I write. Not something you probably care about too much, but I thought I'd let you know ^.^_

_I would love to thank **Whattheduce** for favoriting and adding this story to their watch list. Means a lot! And that username rocks. I don't own avengers or any Marvel material. _

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**Chapter Three: New York and the Good Doctor**

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It was amazing how fast things could change. One minute, Azalea is standing in her living room, watching her life fall apart before her very eyes and the next she is sitting in a lounge area, staring at the glass wall that gave a beautiful view of the famous New York City. It was if she had jumped out of one story and into another. She sat there, legs crossed and hands folded neatly in her lap as she waited for the two men that brought her here to return.

From the car ride to the plane ride she had gotten to know those two rather well. Not that she wanted to but, Tony was an assertive soul and talked enough about himself and Steve Rogers, who he affectionately called "the capsicle." He went on and on and on about himself while he nursed a brandy in the plane. She had gotten from his little self-rant was that he was a billionaire playboy by his own accord. She was not dense nor did she live under a rock. Azalea knew who Tony Stark was before Tony knew who she was.

Steve Rogers on the other hand was someone she did not know. She had heard of Captain America and the whole Avengers team when the tragedy happened in New York not too long ago. She didn't know him well, only that he was _Captain America_. While Tony had his own description of Steve; empty-head, virgin-like capsicle, Azalea couldn't help but wonder more about him. The only thing Steve had utter was his disapproval of Tony's language around a woman.

When they had arrived in New York, Azalea had been overwhelmed. All the noises and lights and that was from just being inside the airport. It was completely different from the crickets and bullfrogs down by the lake in Alabama. They had been swept away in a different car and brought to Tony's Tower and were greeted by another set of people.

That is where Tony and Steve were at the moment. Talking with this Nick Fury man and his horde of...agents? That is what he called them anyway. She was left alone in this lounge like area, still trying to get a grip on what had happened in the last couple of hours when a voice came out of thin air and scared the living shit out of her.

"Miss. Matthews? has asked me to check in on your current status" the voice sounded smooth and very business like. Azalea nearly jumped out of her skin. She stood, turning every which way to find the owner of the voice. "I am sorry , sometimes I forget myself. I am Jarvis. I am more or less the system that runs Stark Tower and Mr. Stark's life" now the voice sounded smug.

"System?" Azalea asked to the air. It felt weird not talking to a human being and here she was talking to a 'system.' "What do you mean by a system? You're a computer or somethin' like that?" she added slowly.

"I suppose that is the basic synopsis. Mr. Stark had mentioned your lack of technical knowledge" Jarvis said. Raising an eyebrow, Azalea was slightly appalled. Apparently _**someone**_ thought she was stupid and she had a suspicious feeling it was because of her particular birth location. "Would you like something to drink ? The bar is located just to the right"

"Please..call me Azalea. And a water wouldn't hurt. So, you're a computer system? You must be rather complicated if you can talk to me like a real person. I can't even begin to think of what went into makin' you" Azalea said, scratching the back of her head as she moved towards what looked like a bar. "Very complex and yet Jarvis is one of my simplest creations" Tony said, stepping off the elevator followed by Captain America.

"Do not flatter yourself sir. I doubt you could go a day without my presence." Jarvis chimed in. It was rather obvious to Azalea now that the system was created by Tony. It had his snarky attitude. "We'll talk about all the ways I could dismantle and make a better version of you later Jarvis, right now, we need to talk about you" Tony pointed to Azalea, making his way over to the bar and making himself a white Russian. His version didn't include the cream or coffee liquor.

"And what about me? Are you going to strap me down to a table and cut me open so you can see how I work and where I mutated to get these..powers or whatever you call them" She asked bitterly. "Did you bring me here to just lock me up and throw away the key? It has to be something"

"No..no. . Its nothing like that at all" Steve Rogers spoke up, placing a hand on her shoulder. She instinctively shrugged away. "S.H.I.E.L.D has known about you for a long time and has watched over you" he said slowly, as if he had some terrible secret still left to tell. "You should sit down Ma'am. Please. This is going to take a very long time to explain and you've been through a lot today and are probably airplane lagged-"

"The term is jet lagged" Tony cut, already pouring himself a second glass of vodka. Azalea let herself be steered to the couch by Steve, liking him far better than she did Tony. Sitting back down on the couch she was just on, she crossed her legs and looked up at Steve. She was not prepared for what came next.

And by the time it was all over, Azalea was more confused and angry than she had ever been. She felt like smashing a window or throwing a temper tantrum. But she couldn't do either. She would only give these people more cause to call her a _'possible hostile' _and _'violent'_ like they had listed in a file just for her.

She had her own fucking file. These people knew everything about her and knew what she could do. Her own parents were not even her own parents. She had never met her parents! Several glasses situated on the bar flew off and onto the floor, shattering into small pieces and startling all three people in the room. "Calm down there scout. The last thing I need is for my things to be destroyed. I already have to worry about a jolly green giant" Tony stated, finishing off his fourth glass of vodka.

"Look, lets just make this short." Tony said, leaning forward. "A bit late for that" Azalea growled. "We aren't here to hurt you. You are special. Not really special like Tony stark special but you're definitely different." the billionaire said. "So what? You want to use me for what I can do?" she asked, looking over at him with blazing green eyes.

"Please stop jumping to conclusions Miss Matthews. While it is true that S.H.I.E.L.D is interested in you because you have powers that set you aside from other people. They do not want to use you as a weapon of mass destruction" Steve said, earning a look from Tony. "They have found it best if you were to officially become apart of S.H.I.E.L.D and eventually the Avengers because you can do good with what you have. Tony and I have been assigned to make sure you are trained and taught the basics."

"Trained?" Azalea was still skeptical of this. A new place with these new people who knew just about everything about her all from one file. It just didn't sound right but honestly where else could she go? Home? That was not really an option she had anymore. "Yes. Physically fit and all that junk like Cap over there. Get you buff." Tony mocked, tensing his muscles for what he thought was an added effect to his joke.

"And to train your other skills as well Ma'am." Steve inserted, wishing Tony would be serious about this one thing. Azalea was obviously scared and angry and with her kind of power it could lead to horrible and dangerous things. She didn't even know how to control her abilities. "Listen. Why don't I show you to where you will be staying for the night. Let you get settled in the best you can and we can talk in the morning. You can meet Dr. Banner as well when you get up. He will be your personal physician, so to speak. Like he is to the rest of the Avengers" Steve tried, knowing it was a hard day for the girl. She was not even eighteen yet and having to deal with so much.

"You're the only person I know that's not excited to be part of the avengers" Tony waved his hands around as he stood. "Forgive me if I don't find it fun to be chastised by the only family I had and then sudden plucked from my home to be apart of some organization who only knows of me because I'm a freak. I don't find the part I am supposed to enjoy"

"Pessimistic? Aren't you scout?" Tony chuckled, moving over to his elevator. "You can stay on Natasha's floor since she does not use it. We will talk more in the morning. Make sure all you do is tuck her in Cap." Tony winked at the American hero before the elevator doors slid shut, leaving Steve Rogers and Azalea Matthews alone for the first time since they met.

"I apologize for his behavior. Tony has always been a crude and very..vivacious person. That is just his nature Ma'am" Steve said with a small smile. "Please stop calling me that. you make me feel sixty instead of eighteen..well..two days from eighteen anyway" Azalea said with a small laugh. Biting his lip, Steve nodded, standing and holding out his hand for her to take. Usually, she would laugh and tell a man that she was not a damsel in distress and she could get up on her own accord, but Steve was sweet and she figured that was his own nature to do things like that. Taking it, she felt him tug and Azalea nearly crashed into his chest.

"Sorry! Sorry! Sometimes..I...I forget my own strength" he said, turning just a bit crimson around his ears. "You should get to bed..I realize this is very much for you right now..and maybe we can discuss this further and more better when you are well rested and have eaten" he insisted, motioning towards the elevator. Azalea nodded and followed him. "So, I guess this it goodnight till tomorrow then?" She teased. For some odd reason or another she felt relaxed around the captain. Maybe it was because he had similar traits to the people from her home. He was nice, down to earth and felt uncomfortable with so much noise and city lights. They were similar and it was nice to have someone like her in this crazy roller coaster she was on right now.

" I guess so. Natasha's floor is just five stories up. Hopefully you will make it there" was that a sense of humor Azalea detected. Maybe Steve was spending a bit too much time with Tony. "I think I can handle five floors up. But you know how backwoods people can't count" she added. She was surprised when Steve let out a short laugh. "Good night Ma'am"

Azalea gave him a pointed look as the elevator doors slid open and she stepped on. "Sorry, it's a habit that I have yet to break." Roger insisted, throwing his hands up in defense. "Not a bad habit to have Steve. At least I know courtesy is not _completely_ dead above the mason-Dixon line" Azalea stated as the elevators doors closed and Azalea was ascended upwards.

Here she was in New York City in Stark towers no less. She should be excited, because she was sure any other girl would be. In some way, Azalea was excited. She was going to get the chance to understand and control her powers which is something she had been fighting for the past six months or so. Probably longer than that but people say that you do block out bad childhood memories.

Instead of looking at her like she was a monster, these two men had talked to her like a normal person. Like a human being and had not once looked at her with disgust. These two men, who had known her for all about five hours had treated her better than her own family had. It was both a relief and heartbreaking to think about.

She had someone that could understand her and would help her understand herself, but she was losing eighteen years of her family in the process. She was losing eighteen years of herself.

Meanwhile, Tony made his way into the lab he knew Bruce would be holed up in. The man was sometimes worst than Tony, but Tony did have Pepper to drag him out every now and then. Bruce had Tony, and Tony never made it easy. "What you up to Doctor Green?" The man asked, finding a seat in one the chairs and rolling over to Bruce's personal space. "Your humor is less tasteful in the early hours of the morning Tony" Bruce replied, hardly wanting to give Tony an answer at all. Finishing up some notes he looked over at the billionaire and it clicked in his head that Tony was back from his trip down south.

"How did it go?" Bruce asked, leaning back in his chair. "As well as it could I suppose. Could have been worse. Could have been more than one dead body" Tony stated, taking a sip of his brandy, having moved on from Vodka. Tonight just felt like a drinking night and it was surprising he was not wasted yet. "More than one?" Bruce asked, a bit skeptical now.

"We told Fury. The boy was written down as a causality. He pissed the girl off and Steve and I came to the conclusion that her power reacted to it and a bookcase fell on the boy. A simple way to go, but he did in fact die. Broke his spine in three places" tony explained to the other, nosing around in the doctor's notes now. Bruce starred at the other, a bit off put that Tony talked about this death as if it was nothing.

"Don't give me that look. You should have seen the way they talked to her. The way that boy talked to her. The ignorance was suffocating" Tony sneered and it actually surprised Bruce that the billionaire was showing some kind of concern for this girl. "She still killed someone"

"Like you haven't?" the words came out of Tony's mouth before he thought about what to say but he didn't regret it. Bruce nodded, understanding what Tony was trying to do, yet it didn't hurt any less to be reminded of the monster lurking beneath the depths of him. "She doesn't know much about her powers. She was scared and angry. We all know what you do when you're angry" Tony said, a bit less harsh this time. He stood from his chair and chugged the rest of his drink. "You'll get to meet her tomorrow. It was best if she got some rest tonight. You'll be her doctor Bruce. So try not to be so touchy feel" the teasing back in his voice.

"I'm not like you Tony Stark. I respect personal space" Bruce replied back in a swift manner. "You haven't seen what she looks like yet. Fire red hair. And not that ginger bullshit either." Tony smirked, heading to the lab door. "I'm talking fire truck red"

"Pepper's hair has an orange hue if I'm correct" the doctor chuckled, moving back to his notes. Turning in a full three-sixty degree angle, Tony pointed at Bruce. "This conversation never happened."

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_Well I hoped you like this chapter and if you did, why not leave a small review! Or favorite it ^.^ If you didn't like it, as always leave a review and tell me what I could do better. I hope you like this little bit of Bruce introduced here and hopefully I didn't move it through the paces to fast. I am trying to speed things up because I tend to linger too much. Working on it though! Thanks for reading and stay tuned for when **(Sexy man extraordinaire)** gets to examine Miss. Matthews. ;)_


	5. Ch 4: Getting Cozy in Stark Tower

_Wow, it has been a long time since I've updated. I had a bunch of stuff come up and I couldn't seem to finish this chapter. Every time I started it, I would not be able to pull anything out of my head. I feel bad that I took this long, but I thank everyone who was patient. I now have about 14 followers! I'm happy about that! Also, 5 favorites now! I am not going to dabble too much on this small little Author's Note, just know this chapter may not be the best. I just really wanted to update for you all. I realize that this chapter is really going to suck. Its choppy and probably jumps around but all my edits ended up worse than the original. its just ugh and I hope you still enjoy._

_Thanks a bundle to **VeryGeeky**,** Lorna Roxen** and **Hieislilgoth** for favoriting this story! Thanks for the faith in me! _

_Don't own Marvel blah blah blah_

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**Chapter Four: Getting Cozy in Stark Tower**

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By the time Azalea went to bed, it was about five in the morning and she did not stir until about twelve that afternoon. She felt like a lazy bum when she finally got up, never having slept past ten in the morning. Shrugging the covers off her body, she moved across the room to look out the glass wall that took up the entire Western side of the floor she was on. New York was absolutely stunning regardless of the time of day. It looked infinite and went on forever to meet up with the pale blue sky.

Shivering, Azalea moved out of the bedroom. The move to New York was sudden and because of that she wasn't able to bring any clothes with her. The Southern was forced to sleep in her underwear, and now was trying to find something, anything, she could put on for today. Tony had mentioned this was some other woman's floor so there was a possibility a shirt and pants were laying around somewhere.. Opening the door of the bedroom that led out ot the main open living room,, Azalea let out a harsh curse and slammed the door back shut. She didn't expect fucking _Captain America_ to greet her this morning. "It would have been nice for a warning Captain" Azalea nearly hissed, not enjoying the fact this man had just seen her almost naked.

"I-I'm sorry Ma'am" Steve said through the door, swallowing thickly and wishing away the blush on his face. Steve Rogers was not a shy man but he did still have morals and seeing a woman almost nude without her consent made him feel like a pervert. "I was just coming to give you these clothes. I am not sure if this is your size. Miss Potts was gracious enough to lend you some of her clothes until we were able to acquire you some" he was rambling and both of them knew it.

With a small sigh, Azalea cracked open the door and stuck her hand out. "It's okay Captain. Honest mistake on both our parts" she said, defusing the situation and tension that came with it. She knew he hadn't tried to purposely sneak a peek. If it had been Tony she was sure she'd stick her boot so far up his ass he'd have rubber teeth. Feeling the weight of the clothes in her hands she retracted back them back into the bedroom before closing the door. "Please Ma'am. My name is Steve"

"And my name is _Azalea_." the girl chuckled, looking through the clothes. A pair of jeans and a dress shirt. This Potts woman must be some kind of secretary or Tony's playboy bunny. Steve didn't come off as the one to have many women or call his wife Miss Potts. "I would prefer if you would stop calling me Ma'am. And I promise to call you Steve" opening the door after she dressed, the girl couldn't help but do a little twirl.

"Am I ready for New york?" she asked with a grin. "I honestly couldn't tell you" Steve replied with a smile on his own. "I don't even think I'm ready for New York" he added after a minute. "Tony is somewhere in his lab, but I figured you would like to eat before meeting Dr. Banner and beginning your training" the blonde said, turning and walking towards the elevator. "Food does sound good. I don't know how to cook though" Azalea replied, following after him. She had to take three steps for every one of his. This man was literally a..._man_. One hell of a man with a very nice ass. she was pulled back from her ogling with Steve's rich laughter. "I can't either" Steve replied, pressing the button to call the elevator.

After a small breakfast rummaged together by two people who couldn't even make a bowl of cereal right, Steve led Azalea down a couple of more floors and exited off on a level that looked like something taken out of a sci-fi movie. She was not completely ignorant to the world of technology but the things she saw simply amazed her. Her eyes didn't know where to begin looking and where to end. "You must be Miss Matthews"

"I swear to god if someone else calls me anything but Azalea I am going to lose my mind." The red head told Steve. No harm to the older brunette that had greeted her by such a formal name but between "Ma'am" and "Scout" she was tired of being referred to as anything else but "Azalea."

Bruce only gave her a half sided grin and nodded but did not extend his hand for any further greeting. "I meant nothing by it. Formality is just something I'd prefer to stick with." he said cooly, moving over to a table that had several test tubes on it. It seemed that he had been working on something prior to Steve and Azalea's arrival.

"Well I'm tellin' ya that you can call me Azalea. Miss Azalea even. But please, I'm not some old hag from Alabama. I'm 18" she insisted, stomping her foot slightly. "That young huh? Didn't realize Fury recruited that young." Bruce muttered to himself.. "Well, if you would please sit on the table, Azalea. You may go now Captain. Unless she wants you to stay, I have to respect doctor-patient confidentiality"

The All-American Hero looked as if he wanted to protest. He was sure she was still traumatized or unstable. Maybe she still needed someone with her that she could halfway trust? Steve had been nothing but kind to her and he would make sure she was safe and comfortable. He wasn't even able to open his mouth before Azalea cut in.

Azalea shrugged. "I think I got this Steve. I'm a big girl" she teased, poking the other in the arm. Steve couldn't help but poke her back. Her attitude was so infectious, of course he had never seen someone smile so much at Stark Towers, even with her given situation. Nodding, Steve told her he'd be back soon to take her to training before leaving.

"So you're Dr. Banner huh? Somehow I thought of you being a bit older" Azalea stated, slipping onto the cold metal table. "_I am older_" was his reply as he sat down, moving the rolling chair over to her spot. "I've never been the one to be a personal doctor." he started, crossing his leg over his knee. "I've never been the one to have a personal doctor. Couldn't afford it" Azalea shrugged, the smile still on her lips.

"You've never been to the doctor?" Bruce's eyes raised in surprise, tapping his fingers against the manilla folder in his hand. She wondered if it was the same one from last night. "Never needed to. I've only been once and that was for my broken leg when I was ten." she answered truthfully. She didn't like doctors anyway and made a point to avoid them.

"Well I suggest you get used to seeing me on at least a monthly basis until I deem you healthy enough for six month check ups" he murmured, writing something down before looking back up at her. "Yes doctor" she waved her hand around in front of her face. "The almighty Dr. Banner" she chuckled. "His word is final"

"Yes. Yes it is" he pointed a pen at her. "I am responsible for your health as of now. And as a doctor it is my job to annoy and take care of you" he said with a serious tone to his voice but Azalea didn't miss his smile. "Now, lets get started. I have your parents medical history. I assume you've never had a problem since you are just eighteen" he said entering doctor mode.

Azalea shook her head. "I've never even had a cold" she said, playing with the ends of her hair. "Good. At Least you've stayed healthy. So you've never had to take any medication. Are you allergic to anything?"

"The occasional bullshit" Azalea said, trying not to laugh. "Then I suggest you stay away from Tony" the reply was swift and it caused the girl to laugh a bit louder than she wanted to. "Oh that was good" she said before they continued.

It took about an hour before Bruce was finally done with her, and that was only because Azalea got him off topic every now and then. Or, at least she tried to. The man could be persist and very stubborn. He reminded Azalea of a more serious and likeable Tony.

With no more questions, Bruce politely showed her back upstairs into the lounge like area she had been placed in the night she arrived here. The doctor then proceeded to return to his labs, bidding her a small goodbye. He himself had no idea where Steve was and told her that it was best for her to stay here and wait for the super soldier.

So with no one to talk to, she made herself comfortable, staring out the large wall to floor windows that were nearly on every floor. Even during the day, the city looked absolutely breathtaking. She had never seen something so endless in all her life. Moving across the floor, she pressed her hand against the glass, mesmerized by the scene.

She had always been told that New York was just a glamorized mud pit. It was a dirty city full of criminals and scum who just happened to wear suits. The air was thick with pollution and the streets thick with angry people. And all that might be true, but up her spot high above the skyscrapers, it looked like some kind of kingdom. Pine trees were nothing compared to these tall metal buildings.

With the cityscape capturing her attention, she never noticed the other body that approached from behind. Steve couldn't help but smile himself on how content she looked. It was good to see she was happy and not fearful. She was somewhere safe and settling in well here even if this was only her second day. Pressing his hand on the other side of the glass, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "its amazing isn-ooof!" he grunted, feeling a pressure against his chest as he was pushed away from her.

It was both an odd and terrifying experience. It felt as if he had been hit by a Hulk sized punch, and his heart actually pulsed in a sort of aching way for a good thirty seconds. He thought the organ was going to stop for a brief moment. Falling to the ground, he looked up at her in awe and a bit of surprise. Had that been her power? He placed a hand over his chest, feeling his now rabid beating heart. Still aching, but no physical damage done, all Steve could do at that moment was look up at her. She looked more terrified than he probably did. As if she had just committed murder.

Steve Rogers made a mental note to never sneak up on her ever again. "I'm so so sorry" she exclaimed, wide green eyes looking down at him in worry as she bent her knees so she was eye level with him. "Steve I'm so sorry. I honestly didn't mean to do that. Please...Please tell me you're okay" she begged, torn between being afraid to touch him and wanting to make sure he was okay. She looked so fearful and Steve suddenly realized that, even though she was afraid she had hurt him, she was more afraid that he was going to reject her.

She was waiting for it and Steve could just tell. She was waiting for him to turn his back to her; Just like her family did. It was there, deep in those mossy green eyes. She was waiting for him to retract in fear and hatred. It was heartbreaking to see how damaging her parents and that Jackson boy had been in just a short amount of time. Slowly, he reached forward, placing a hand on her thin shoulder he had just touched a moment ago.

He felt a warmth somewhere deep inside of him from that contact but chose to ignore at the moment. She needed his comfort and reassurance at the moment and Steve Rogers was not going to deny her that.

"Calm down." he whispered, carefully reaching up and placing his other hand on her other shoulder. She was trembling underneath his touch. He kept eye contact though, trying to calm the young girl down because she looked as if she was two seconds away from hyperventilating. "It's okay. Everything is okay. I should have not startled you. I'm fine. And I'm not upset if thats what you are worried about." Twice today he had startled her and honestly he felt like he needed to be the one that felt bad. "Are you sure?" she asked softly, dragging her bottom lip between her teeth. The Captain nodded, slowly standing and helping her up as well.

"I promise. Everything is fine. I just got a little taste of what your power can do. Its very interesting" he commented, trying to make her smile. He wanted that beautiful smiled back on her face and for her not to look so afraid. It was far too heartbreaking of a look for Azalea to have on her face and he realized that he would do anything to make sure it was never there again.

She had grown on him in such a short amount of time.

The low wolf whistle actually had Azalea blushing, turning her face so Tony couldn't have the satisfaction of knowing he had made her uncomfortable. "Getting cozy with Scout already Captain? Hell, I think you're learning a thing or two from me" Tony said, that shit eating grin plastered on his face.

The All-American man gave the Billionaire a pointed look, one that spoke loudly to Tony and only egged him on more. "I get it" he added, placing his hands up in defense. "I interrupted your sexy time with Scout. But when Javis informed me that you were in distress" he motioned over to Azelea rather than to Steve, "I had to come check on the situation. I see that Jarvis has the wrong idea of what distressed is."

"If my design is flawed, it is because your programming is flawed." the sudden voice of nowhere made Tony's face twist in a snark. "Then maybe I need to dismantle you and try again Jarvis."

Steve led Azalea over to the elevator. As much as the pissing contest between Tony and Jarvis was amusing, Steve still had to train her, as per orders from Nick Fury himself. Steve was not stupid though, and knew it was more of an evaluation of her power than to actually train her. Someone like Hawkeye or Natasha would be better suited for this, but neither one were accounted for at the moment. Deep down somewhere in himself, Steve was slightly okay with that.

It was amazing what Stark could fit inside his tower; at least to Azalea it was. Just when she thought there was no more to see, Steve shows her to the gym, which just looked like a steroid head's best wet dream. She didn't have time to oggle as Steve was a man of prompt business and got to work. He made her do psychical activity which Azalea was not happy with. As a teenager, she naturally emitted laziness and Steve was not amused when she threw herself on the floor claiming to be "out of juice"

Even though he wouldn't completely force her to do anything, he did insist she try to bench press a little bit to build upper arm strength before they were done for today. She rewarded him with a single half-ass attempt before proclaiming she was done.

Steve found himself that he was simply happy that she was happy. Azalea was laughing and giggling and joking with him, and it warmed him to think she was that comfortable with him already. she trusted him to some extent and Steve was happy to give her someone to trust. She needed that and he was more than happy to oblige.

Frowning, Steve remembered Fury's direction and at this point he didn't want to go through with them. But who was he to deny Fury? The S.H.I.E.L.D director could throw temper tantrums and the super soldier didn't want to put Azalea in the middle of that. Of course, in his own musings, he didn't notice Azalea leaving until she was at the elevator.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked with a small half smile on his face. "Look, Steve. You're a great guy, but if I move anymore except to go crash on a couch somewhere, I think my body is going to quit" she whined, jabbing the elevator button, willing the damn thing to come get her faster.

"We aren't done" he told her, crossing large arms over his chest. The look she threw over her shoulder only caused him to laugh, breaking his resolve. "Some of us don't have super juice running through our veins"

"I believe Tony calls that alcohol" he remarked, moving to stand beside her and wait for the elevator.

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_Thanks for reading, leave a review if you like or didn't like it. I know this chapter is both ugh and more ugh. But I have updated and I promise that number Five will be better and we are going to fast forward into the future for chapter Five. Stay tuned! _


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